The Arizona Hooded Oriole 



cast; chin and throat black. The approaching maturity of male birds is characterized 

 by steady intensification of the yellows, and extension of the black "bib;" but the 

 characters of the adult female are stubbornly retained above, and it is probable that 

 the adult characters are not acquired until the third spring. In all males, advancing 

 age is betokened by increase of the orange element in the yellows, so that the color of 

 the oldest birds is a little richer than "cadmium-yellow." Length of adult male about 

 203.2 (8.00). Av. of 10 (Ridgway): wing 88.4 (3.48); tail 89.9 (3.54); bill 21.6 (.85); 

 tarsus 22.4 (.88). Females slightly smaller. 



Recognition Marks. — Towhee size. As compared with Icterus bullocki, with 

 which alone it is likely to be confused, note yellow head, or "hood," of male; much more 

 extensive black of throat; tail black, not yellow, on under side; yellows less orange. 

 Underparts entirely yellow in female and young. 



Nesting. — Nest: a closely woven basket, or hanging pouch, of fine vegetable 

 fiber, usually composed externally of a single, uniform, selected material, and in Cali- 

 fornia almost invariably the shredded fibers of the Washington Palm ( Neowashingtonia 

 filifera), with some inner felting of vegetable down or feathers; lashed to the under side 

 of a palm leaf or of other large protecting leaves. Eggs: 3 or 4, white or bluish white, 

 sharply, sparingly and irregularly spotted, chiefly about the larger end, with purplish 

 black and purp'ish gray. Av. size 21.6 x 15.4 (.85 x .61). Season: late April-July; 

 two broods. 



Range of Icterus cucullatus. — Southern California, southern Arizona, and the 

 lower valley of the Rio Grande, south to Honduras. 



Range of /. c. nelsoni. — Southern Ca ifornia, southern Arizona, and south- 

 western New Mexico, south to Lower California and Tepic, Mexico; winters south of 

 the United States. 



Distribution in California. — Common summer resident, of local distribution in 

 the Lower Sonoran zone of the lower Colorado River valley, the Colorado Desert and the 

 San Diegan district, west to Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez (Aug. 19, 1917). There 

 is a record for Auburn, Placer County (Bendire, Life Histories, vol. ii., 1895, p. 476); 

 and the species is of probable occurrence in the Tulare basin. 



Authorities. — Cooper, Proc. Calif. Acad. Nat. Sci., vol. ii., 1861, p. 122; Stephens, 

 Auk, vol. i., 1884, p. 355 (nests); Ridgway, Proc. U. S. National Mus., vol. viii., 1885, 

 p. 19 (description of nelsoni); Illingworth, Condor, vol. iii., 1901, pp. 98-100 (nests); 

 Bailey, F. M., Auk, vol. xxvii., 1910, pp. 33-35, pis. iv., v. (nests in s. Calif.); Wear, 

 Condor, vol. xvii., 191 5, p. 234 (at Fresno). 



EXACT information regarding the Arizona Hooded Oriole is curi- 

 ously lacking. The bird is rated common in Southern California; and 

 most of us have seen its nest, a sturdy fistful of twisted palm fibers lashed 

 midway of some protecting cluster of large leaves (sycamore or fig), or 

 hung from the under side of a palm-leaf. Its brilliant colors, golden- 

 yellow and black, with touches of white, mark the male bird for distinction, 

 yet the bird is so modest, so retiring, or else so crafty, and so reticent 

 withal, that our impressions of his personality seem to be very hazy. 



Much of our confusion is caused, no doubt, by the presence of its 

 several-times more numerous, ten times noisier, and hundred times less 



9o 



